Comparative antimicrobial and wound-healing-related effects of N-chlorotaurine and conventional antiseptics

This study aimed to investigate the activity of N-chlorotaurine (NCT), by comparing it with povidone iodine (PVP-I), octenidine (OCT), hypochlorous acid (HOCI) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB). In vitro bactericidal activity assay results showed that PVP-I, OCT, HOCl and PHMB achieved substantial reductions in viable counts across the tested bacterial strains. 1% NCT displayed its efficacy over an extended period and showed most pronounced bactericidal activity against Enterobacter spp. In collagen wound biofilm model, NCT greatly reduced the biofilm caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa while PVP-I reduced viable counts of all tested bacteria to below the detection limit. In microtiter assay, NCT exhibited strong antibiofilm activity, causing ≥3 log10 reductions in viable counts and >50% biomass reduction in most strains. Furthermore, NCT demonstrated fibroblast migration rates comparable to untreated controls, indicating favorable biocompatibility without impairing wound closure processes. Consequently, NCT exhibits a distinct activity and tolerability profile with apparent compatibility with fibroblast wound closure, which may offer clinical advantages in specific wound management.